Lette led Emily out of the dungeon. Outside, as the guard had said, a dense black fog had completely enveloped Lawrence Manor.
"Striking before nightfall, it seems that some people are quite impatient."
Emily observed the chaos among the people in the manor and quickly stepped forward.
"Everyone, don't panic! All guards, take up your weapons and put on your armor; enter combat readiness immediately! As for the rest, all hurry and hide inside the houses!
Quickly!"
Count Laurence was nowhere to be found, but Emily's presence quickly stabilized the situation. The guards donned their armor and assembled in front of her.
Yet the thick black fog showed no sign of change, so Emily bravely stepped forward and shouted toward the fog.
"Teacher! Moslian, teacher! Is that you? What's going on! Let's talk face-to-face! Teacher! Come out!"
She shouted several times in succession, but there was no response from the fog. The oppressive atmosphere caused cold sweat to run down the backs of the guards.
With every moment they waited, her father's danger increased. Emily could only turn to Lette for help.
"Now, what should we do?"
"You want him to come out? That's easy!"
With that, Lette suddenly snatched a spear from a nearby guard and thrust it fiercely toward Emily. But in the next moment, a Wind Blade swooped in at a tricky angle straight toward Lette's throat.
Lette switched from thrusting to parrying, and the spear was cut in half as it clashed with the Wind Blade. He also managed to dodge that sharp strike in the process.
"Since you have already made a move, don't cower like a turtle."
"Hmph! The Church Court actually has someone like you who will stop at nothing."
A black-robed Moslian walked out from the dense fog, holding the pale, unconscious Count Laurence.
"Father!"
Lette pressed down on the rushing Emily, speaking coldly, "If you go over there, neither you nor your father will survive.
Don't think he saved you just now out of some sense of teacher-student bond. It's because he doesn't want to ruin his carefully cultivated fruit."
"Hahahahaha, what's the difference?"
Gales gathered around the Moslian Mage, the powerful elemental fluctuations making people's scalps tingle.
"Now you are sealed by the Holy Shackles, all your Divine Arts bound, and everyone here is like fish on the chopping block. Standing there, are you truly safe?"
Lette spread his hands: "Why not give it a try?"
Moslian's arrogant expression gradually tightened, malice flashing in his eyes, fiercely glaring at Lette.
Reason told him that this man posed no threat anymore.
But his heart still pounded, a reflex honed from facing numerous threats of death.
From this man, Moslian sensed an extreme aura of danger. This feeling, he had only ever experienced from his own teacher.
That teacher was one of the Three Great Sages of the Tower of Truth, a being who had once slaughtered the Gods.
Snap!
Moslian stepped on Count Laurence's thigh, the crisp sound of bone-breaking echoed by the Count's shrill cry resounding through the manor.
"Ah!!! My leg! My leg!"
Emily cried out in panic, "Father! Teacher, what exactly are you trying to do!"
Moslian sighed, "Emily, I never expected such a time you would still call me teacher. It's really... exasperating.
Your magical talent is so poor, and you lack the mindset of a Truth Apprentice.
Destined to achieve nothing.
Come here.
As long as you behave, I can spare your father and others.
If you continue to resist, not only everyone inside the manor but everyone nearby will perish for this."
"Fine! I agree!"
Emily was just about to step forward when Lette stopped her again.
"Wait a moment, we'll agree to your terms, but you must swear by the name of the Gate of Truth."
Moslian's expression froze instantly, as if something was sticking in his throat, unable to go up or down.
Lette mocked, "You people are really amusing; the Church Court believers worship a real Goddess, and you call that foolish, yet you worship the elusive Gate of Truth with utter devotion."
"Enough nonsense! Emily, come here quickly and don't test my patience. Stop dreaming; this man has nothing left but a stiff mouth! He is struggling himself, how can he protect you?"
Lette immediately shielded Emily behind him, "I'm indeed protecting her today! Not just her, from top to bottom, inside and out, I've got it all covered!
Don't even think about harming anyone! Even if you were a chicken, you wouldn't die here!
Even the Lord of Truth couldn't help it! And I say this!"
"Scoundrel! How dare you mention the Lord of Truth!? Fine! I'll kill the Count right now, let's see what you can do!"
"No! Don't!"
Moslian raised his staff, the tail end gathering a gust into a spearhead, which he aimed at Count Laurence's temple.
In this critical moment, a dense Holy Shield rose from Count Laurence, blocking this fatal strike.
Then, the Holy Shield transformed into a rain of arrows, showering toward Moslian.
Moslian hurriedly spun his staff, the tail wind turning into a circular shield, blocking most of the Light Swords, but a few arrows pierced through, leaving scorched potholes.
Even so, these injuries rapidly healed at an observable speed.
Moslian was blown back, fearfully looking at Count Laurence, then at Lette.
"Impossible! You were sealed, your Divine Arts bound! This Holy Shackles Scroll was handcrafted by my teacher, it can't be wrong!
I get it now, you cast a Divine Curse on the Count long ago! Damn it, why didn't I notice it!"
Lette laughed heartily, "You've guessed half right. The Divine Arts on the Count were indeed pre-cast by me.
But, I wasn't restrained by your so-called Holy Shackles Seal."
With that, Lette raised his hand, and five fingers gathered the Holy Light, transforming into five chains that shot out, binding Count Laurence back.
This scene left Moslian stunned. As Lette handed Count Laurence to Emily, he couldn't resist quipping one more time.
"See, that's the most interesting thing about the members of the Tower of Truth. They pride themselves on knowing the Truth of the world, but once something beyond their understanding appears, they fall into deep self-doubt.
In that state, there's no difference from dumb geese."
Moslian glared at Lette, teeth clenched, "You! How did you do it?"
"How about this, I'll tell you the reason, and you tell me, what is the purpose of all this."
Lette's Holy Light continuously shifted in his hands, leveraging the other's almost pathological thirst for knowledge to guide him step by step.
"You have one apple, I have one apple, if we exchange, we each still have one apple.
But you have a piece of knowledge, and I have a piece of knowledge, if we exchange, we each have two pieces of knowledge.
As a member of the Tower of Truth, would you abandon the chance to pursue Truth?
Or, do you have no confidence in the plan you've so meticulously crafted for ten years?"
Moslian hesitated for a moment, then clenched his teeth decisively, "Alright! In the name of the Gate of Truth, I will make a contract with you!"
Lette extinguished the Holy Light with a flip of his hand, "According to the principles of the Tower of Truth, your thirst for knowledge is greater than mine, so you speak first."
Moslian's expression was stern, he took a deep breath and slowly began to speak, "The reason for all this traces back to a secret plan of the Tower of Truth years ago.
Codenamed [Witch]."